Fine China
by BrokenDreamz95
Summary: Previously a stand-alone oneshot Routine, now a Makorra oneshot collection. No intended number of chapters, just a place to dump the requests and ideas I get from time to time. Title is taken from the Chris Brown song of the same name. Open for prompts!
1. Routine

**Summary: **From a prompt given to me by my friend on tumblr, anewbeginningsend, a.k.a SoulLikeABird here on | It's one of Mako's rare days off of work, and, sadly, he and Korra can't seem to see eye to eye.  
**Rating:** T for language  
**Pairing:** Makorra  
**A/N:** This is just a small oneshot written from a simple prompt, given to me by SoulLikeABird, as she is known here on . Originally posted on tumblr, I've decided to carry it over. If you would like to follow me on tumblr and/or request prompts for me, I am known as lexshmithegreat. Without further ado, here is the oneshot. Enjoy.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from the Avatar universe. Everything belongs to Mike and Bryan. I'm simply a fan who enjoys writing.

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It was one of his rare days off of work that Mako had boarded the ferry to Air Temple Island first thing that morning. It was one of his usual routines he practiced each day he had off — as soon as he would step off of the ferry and on to the dock, he would make his way to his usual spot beneath a large oak tree, allowing him a clear view of the training grounds. He would sit on the soft grass, leaning his back against the tree's trunk, and breathe in the fresh air. He would always welcome the relaxation the island provided with open arms, happy that he had something as simple as this to unwind after his long, tiring shifts on patrol. He would allow his eyes to close once they began feeling heavy with each passing moment, not before catching Korra's gaze settle upon him in between her training. The young firebender would flash a soft smile — something that had become frequent of him during the past few months — just to see her offer one in return. He'd eventually end up dozing off with his arms folded across his chest and his head hung low as his body slouched against that tree trunk. However, the best moments of his routine involved him waking up to the Avatar beside him, her head on his shoulder, and a smile on her face. He wouldn't dare say a word, not wanting to disrupt her as she settled into the same level of tranquility he had reached. The two of them would communicate silently through touch and small gestures; truth be told, these moments spent with Korra were his favorite. They were like paradise to him, and he always made sure to cherish each and every second that would pass.

So why was today so different?

Perhaps him waking up without her head on his shoulder and that smile on her face should've been his first warning that something was wrong.

The firebender blinked a few times, having difficulty keeping his eyes open due to a mixture of drowsiness and the bright sunlight. He let out a yawn and glanced to his left, coming up empty, and immediately to his right. His blurry gaze landed upon a tan figure, arms crossed in annoyance and a scowl plastered across her face.

"Korra?" Mako mumbled groggily.

"What?" she replied, her voice heavy with the annoyed tone he knew first hand.

His vision began to focus, now, taking in the scenery around the two of them. He could see, now, that Korra was slumped against the tree trunk, in a similar manner to him, her arms still crossed against her chest, and that scowl still present. Had something happened while he was asleep? Was her annoyance generated by something _he_ had done? Or was she just in a sour mood from training?

"Did something happen?"

She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes and knitted her brows together, a simple expression that sent a chill down Mako's spine. He had noted early on in their relationship that his girlfriend could give some pretty nasty — and some unintentionally hilarious — looks. The first few he had seen had the same effect on him as the one she flashed now. He hated to admit it, but Korra could really send him into a state of fear on an entirely different level than her own father could achieve.

Korra's gaze shifted toward the training grounds before her, her scowl still remaining. Mako watched intently, fighting back his urge to comfort her with the simple feeling of his hand upon her shoulder, fearful of what she would do or say in the moment. The two of them had been in a few heated arguments during the course of their relationship, most of which didn't end until days later. They both were far too stubborn to admit they were wrong, which only caused the arguments to go on longer than necessary. He had vowed to keep their disagreements to a minimum after their last explosive argument, something that was very difficult to maintain when Korra sought after support during her journey as the Avatar. He wasn't the best person to ask the types of questions she had been asking, and when he didn't provide the answer she wanted, her boiling point was easily hit.

"Tenzin is always quick to tell me that I haven't mastered airbending!" she had finally broken the silence, jerking her arms out in front of her in anger. Her brows had knitted further together, and Mako began to wonder how that was even possible. He'd never known her training made her this angry. "I know for a fact I've got it mastered! I mean, does this—" with a punch of his fist forward, a gust of wind emitted from her hands, similar to that of when she had fought Amon "—not look like I've mastered it, to you?"

Mako's eyes widened for a moment before his brows furrowed together and his gaze dropped. He slowly scooted his body away from the tree trunk, crossing his legs beneath him and sighed. On one hand, the firebender would rather avoid a fight than initiate one if his words were not what she wanted to hear; and on the other, he knew he had to support her in any way possible. She was his girlfriend, after all, and he wanted nothing more than to support her, yet, as of late, that was a difficult task for him to achieve.

_Looks as if I'm at a stalemate… again._

"I've barely got any free time because of all of this training!" the Avatar continued, folding her arms across her chest once more. _"Korra, you have much to learn about airbending. Korra, you have much to learn about the Avatar State,_" her voice deepened as she began imitating the elder airbender, and her arms moved in dramatic fashion, gesturing every which way possible. She allowed her head to fall back against the trunk of the oak tree, that scowl of hers taking form among her features once again. "I mean, I know being the Avatar comes with all of this learning crap, but would it kill Tenzin to let me have more free time?! And what the hell does he know about the Avatar State, anyway?"

"Korra, his dad was Avatar Aang. I'm sure he knows a thing or two about what the Avatar is capable of."

_Uh-oh._

His eyes went wide the minute he realized what words had unintentionally spewed from his lips. Those were the exact words he had wanted avoid, yet knew he couldn't because, frankly, he was correct, although Korra would never openly admit it.

Mako noticed Korra's eyes widen ever so slightly, before she blinked and averted her gaze to her left. Her bottom lip protruded out in a pout, and her scowl quickly took its place upon her features.

Her expression softened as she opened her mouth. "Why is it you seem to _always_ take everyone's side but mine?" she mumbled, glancing in his direction.

His eyebrows rose for a moment before absentmindedly furrowing his brow. "What are you talking about? You asked me a question. I'm just trying to help."

"By taking Tenzin's side?"

"I was just saying what I think!"

"Forget it," she stated, pushing herself up and off of the ground. "I shouldn't have bothered asking you, anyway."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like!" she spun around on her heel to face him, her eyes narrowing at the young man. "I can't even ask my own boyfriend for advice without him taking sides!"

"I wasn't taking sides! You asked a question, and I answered! What else do you want from me?"

A brief moment of silence washed over the two, further frustrating Mako. Although his gaze had softened in a silent plea for this pointless argument to end, Korra's glare was still in full force. Why couldn't he communicate with her girlfriend properly? What in Spirits' name was wrong with him?

"Never mind, Mako," her words finally broke the silence. Her eyes averted away from him, ending their stare down that felt as if it had gone on forever. "I'm gonna head inside. Pema should have lunch ready by now."

Just like that, he remained frozen in his place, watching her as she began walking away. When it came to arguments, _this _was their usual routine. Korra would walk away in frustration, while Mako would remain wherever it was they had been prior to parting ways. The time apart allowed him to be alone with his thoughts — always playing the scenario in his head on a loop, analyzing every detail and aspect, and what he could have said that might have helped him avoid being in this predicament. Never once did he think of chasing after her, for she would return to him once she had cleared her head and calmed her mind. Neither of the two would speak, relying simply on actions as they had always done, and both would seem to forget anything ever happened, believing it best not to bring it up again in fear of a repeat of what had happened earlier. Communication was never a strong suit of theirs, which had always been clear to them, as well as to those around them, long before their romantic relationship had been established. For either of them, attempting to fix the problem was a difficult — if not, impossible — task.

However, he knew one of them would have to take that step and at least attempt.

And, sadly, that one of them would be him.

He sighed and hung his head.

He would make this right, even if it killed him in the process.

The firebender quickly scrambled to his feet, clumsily knocking his head on a branch above him in the process. Rubbing the sure to bruise area with a gloved hand, he began to close the distance between himself and the girl that seemed to always cause him some sort of level of frustration. He reached for her, his hand grasping at her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Korra turned to face him with an eyebrow risen in question, and all he could do in that moment was clear his throat.

"Look," he began, "I know you're frustrated, and I know what I said wasn't what you wanted to hear, but — uh…"

Words escaped him at this point. Neither of them had been the best at their choices in words, as depicted by him earlier on, but he knew he had to at least attempt to get his point across to her.

"I'm not the best at all with this Avatar stuff," his eyebrows lowered, "I only know of the things in the stories my father would tell me about the Avatar before I'd go to bed, and everything I'm learning from you. I'm trying my hardest to help you out and give you advice, but all I can offer are my opinions. I'm not here to tell you what to do, how to do it, or when to do it."

Mako paused to read Korra's expression. Her brow was still raised as she focused intently on him and his words. He scratched at his temple, wondering if what he had said was enough, if he should continue, or if that would just ensue in him rambling on further than he was sure he already had.

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"I wasn't taking sides when I told you Tenzin is probably pretty knowledgeable when it comes to things dealing with the Avatar; I was just being honest. He grew up learning everything he knows from Avatar Aang, who I'm sure taught him a lot about the Avatar and the capabilities each possess." He paused once more, tugging at his scarf nervously and silently hoping he was saying the right things this time. "I wish I could be of more help to you, but most of the time, I'm just as lost and confused as you are. All I can do is continue to love and support you, even though I wish I could do more."

It was his turn to stare intently at the young woman before him as he awaited some form of a response. He had noticed her eyebrow had lowered back to its original spot, and yet, he had difficulty telling if she was happy with his words, or angry. If the latter, he figured he would give up discussing things with her altogether; although, he knew that would only make matters worse.

His eyes widened ever so slightly at the feeling of her fingers intertwining with his. His brow furrowed in question as he continued to gaze at the Avatar, who now had a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"How about we agree to disagree?" she offered, giving up the fight against her emotions and allowing the smile to overtake her features. "If anything, we can agree at least one of us is right, some of the time."

"Y-yeah," Mako nodded, offering up a smile of his own. "That works for me."

"…Just as long as you know_ I'm_ right _most_ of the time!"

"Yeah… Hey, wait! Don't get ahead of yourself, Korra!"

He was left alone for the second time that day as Korra ran ahead, flashing a teasing grin his way and a stint of laughter immediately after.

He hated to admit it, but perhaps this slight change in his usual routine was for the best.


	2. Mood Swings

**Title:** Mood Swings  
**Summary: **[From a prompt given to me by a lovely anon on tumblr. Thank you, anon! | Dealing with a pregnant wife and her mood swings was definitely something Mako wasn't ready for. | Makorra. | **T**-rated]  
**Word Count: **1020

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Mako sat on the edge of the bed, completely bewildered at the events which had just occurred. His police uniform and white wife beater thrown carelessly on the floor a few steps away from where he sat, and the boxers he surprisingly still had on his body were pulled down his hips just the slightest amount. His brows furrowed in confusion as he racked his brain for what the hell could have triggered the sudden rejection from his wife. One minute, she was all over him – ravishing his bare skin with kisses and gentle touches to areas only she knew could make him squirm – and the next, pushing him off of her, yelling obscenities as she stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door on her way out.

Had he done something wrong? Had he pushed her a little too far, given the fact that she was pregnant?

_Pregnant._

_Wait a minute…_

Everything clicked from him in that moment.

His wife was pregnant.

"And to think I was worried about the lack of mood swings…" he muttered quietly to himself, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. Truth be told, the young pro-bender turned Republic City police officer had been wary of the lack of pregnancy symptoms from his wife during these early stages, causing his mind to wander in to terrifying territory. Thoughts of her possibly not being pregnant, and it being a false alarm often swam through his mind. Granted, she did have the cravings he had heard about; however, other than that, the only other symptoms she experienced were morning sickness and the lack of her menstrual cycle, which was the clear indicator to both he and his wife that she was indeed pregnant.

Mako absentmindedly tugged his boxers back in to place and fell back on the bed with a loud groan. He didn't understand the sudden mood swing his wife had just experienced. From what he had learned, pregnant women had raging hormones like a teenager, if not worse. So why had she suddenly changed her mind?

He figured it best to not dwell too much on the subject and fell back against the bed. He threw his arms behind his head and focused his gaze on the ceiling, mentally drawing pictures in the texture of the drywall. His lame attempt at distracting himself to avoid over-analyzing the past events was abruptly cut short the moment he heard the footsteps of his enraged wife making her way down the hall.

He gulped.

In an instant, he shot up and out of the bed, scrambling to his feet and scanning throughout the room in preparation for the event he had to make a quick escape.

Korra always had the ability to put fear into the young man, but never this much.

The doorknob began to turn, and the door began to push open, causing Mako to flinch even the slightest amount. He had no idea what to expect, and that terrified him the most. With his wife this angry, he wouldn't be surprised if she burned the house down or started an earthquake just by yelling at him. For what, he still had yet to determine.

The small yet fit body of his wife emerged from behind the door. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes pierced through him like daggers.

This would not be good.

"Korra," Mako squeaked, stumbling backward, "I know you're mad at me, and I understand it's because you're pregnant, but babe, you have to cut me some sla—hey!"

Just like that, he was staring back up at the drywall of their bedroom ceiling, confused as to what just happened. His eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of lips at his neck and hands tugging his boxers down painfully slow. What in the hell was going on?

"Korra," her name escaped his lips in a low groan. His will to fight against her actions was beginning to die out the moment her lips made their way up his neck, to his jawline, and ending at his lips. Her name came out of his lips once again, muffled by the work she was putting in against him. His hands came up to cup either sides of her face, and all of his resolve to pull away and question what was happening flew out of the window. Her tongue somehow found its way into his mouth and began to gently massage his own before moving to tickle the roof of his mouth, something she knew drove him insane.

It was that exact moment that he stopped dead in his tracks, and gently pushed her off of him just enough to squirm away.

"No, no, no. I can't do this, Korra," he said through shallow breath, standing before her and pulling his boxers back in to place once again. He noticed his wife stare at him, dumbfounded and seemingly on the verge of tears. "You're confusing me with these mood swings way too much!"

How in the hell was he going to handle this for six more months?

"What the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean, Mako?" Korra growled, tears threatening to spill over. "You're the one giving me mixed signals! What's wrong with you tonight?"

"Me?" Mako sputtered. "What is wrong with _you_? _You_ pushed _me_ away earlier, and now you're all over me!"

"Forget it, Mako," the tears reached their limit, spilling over her cheeks despite her scowl. "You don't want me now, you won't want me when my stomach is the size of a melon!"

"Woah, don't you be turning this around on me! I was fine with this entire thing both times! I'm just confu-OW! What was that for?!"

"For being a giant prick!"

The door slammed shut, leaving Mako alone in the bedroom they shared once again, more confused than he was just minutes ago. He blinked a few times, trying to process what had just happened, but soon gave up, just as he had earlier.

With a sigh, he fell face first on to the bed and groaned into the sheets.

"Only six more months to go… Fantastic."


End file.
